President's brother arrested in bribery case

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) — Police have arrested the brother of the Romanian president on suspicion of taking a bribe and using the president's name to promise he could get a prison sentence reduced.

The Bucharest Court late Friday approved an application from anti-corruption prosecutors to arrest Mircea Basescu for 30 days on suspicion of taking a bribe of 250,000 euros ($340,000) from the family of a well-known convict. Basescu had been detained on Thursday, but only for 24 hours.

His arrest came after a video was broadcast in which he appeared to acknowledge receiving a bribe to help reduce the sentence of Sandu Anghel, who is imprisoned for attempted murder. Mircea Basescu has denied wrongdoing.

President Traian Basescu has denied intervening in the case and has distanced himself from his brother.